


The Illusion of You

by orphan_account



Category: Puyo Puyo
Genre: And his friends trying to make him feel better, Angst with no happy ending, F/M, Guess what I haven't stopped shipping, M/M, just a sad Squirrelbear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-11 15:40:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11717391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The Training Grounds Miss Accord made for Ringo and company still stands, post PPT. Risukuma seems to not only know where these grounds are, but spends a lot of time after school in them.Ringo and Maguro follow him one day, to find out what's on his mind.





	The Illusion of You

"There he goes again, Ringo... ★" Maguro whispers, watching the hunched over squirrelbear of science mindlessly stroll into the wooded forest near the school as Ringo hushes him, quietly. He's distracted, obviously, but neither of his fellow classmates wanted to disrupt him. Hidden behind the shrubs outside the school with some degree of work, they occasionally peer out to keep an eye on their target. Ringo pauses, using her fingers to silently count, holding them up so Maguro can see too.

 _Five..._  
The squirrelbear reaches the sign for the forest.

 _Four..._  
He pauses by it, for a moment, staring at the sign. He emits a sigh, and slouches even more.

 _Three..._  
It appears he got whatever information he needed out of the sign, because he then trudges on.

 _Two..._  
Risukuma continues into the forest, disappearing from sight as his foot falls become quiet.

 _One..._  
The only noise of the long left school is the birds in the trees, crying for attention, the noise pollution of the far off city, and the sound of the pair's own breathing as they watch and wait.

_Now._

Ringo urgently joins her hand with Maguro's, and the pair oh so casually walk out of the bushes to speed walk into the same forested entrance, leaving the busy city behind to continue on.

The forest is quiet compared to the city, the noise of the hustle bustle faded and gone as careful bird cries and gentle insects make their own kind of music. If it weren't for their mission, Ringo would almost consider this a nice ending to a date or something. Maguro remains linked by their hands, clearly focused - but sparing his girlfriend a small smile and a gentle hand squeeze as they watch for and follow the white lab coat.

The trip seemed longer this time, at least that's how Ringo felt it. It seemed so much faster when she went this way with Tee, O, Arle and Amitie, but maybe that was because they talked and chattered the whole way instead of the sneaking silence she and Maguro had. Risukuma seemed unaware of their presence, which was good - the squirrelbear wasn't a fan of opening up to anyone, even if he cared about them. Whatever's going on here was important to know, though. They were Risukuma's friends, and he was upset. 

Sneaking around to figure out why was only natural. 

Sometimes, he'd pause, and prompt Ringo and Maguro to dart behind a tree or a bush to avoid being spotted. Sometimes it was a brief pause to appreciate the nature around him, while other pauses where he actually looked to see if he was being followed. The highschooler started to feel bad for her mission, just a little, since the poor guy probably was keeping this secret for a reason. Maguro followed her without question, and she figures if it's to help Risukuma, it isn't that bad to sneak around and get insight. 

After what felt like hours, the training grounds had been spotted. Ringo and Maguro duck behind a large tree as Risukuma sighs, staring up at the marble gate. His paws tremble a bit, and he shoves them in his coat pockets as he steps within the gate. The white mist of the area swallows the scientist whole, prompting Ringo and Maguro to follow him a bit longer. 

Risukuma walks in a straight line, as if he knows all too well where the spot he wishes to be is. Near a few pillars that the sneaking highchoolers hide behind, the squirrel bear perches himself on a bench, elbows resting on his knees and head resting in his paws.

"You're back already?" An unfamiliarly familiar voice rings out, and an illusion steps free of the fog. Ringo squints, trying to make the figure out, as Maguro watches her. 

The figure stands tall and lean, with a dog shaped head and glasses perched on either side of his nose. His attire reminds her of those long tetriminos, and the Tetra crew member's name escapes her, but Ringo knows who he is. She fought him before - he's easily scared and he's the engineer. Why does Risukuma remember him so well?

Maguro peeks out a bit, and the dog alien thing sits next to Risukuma.

"I suppose I am." The tired upperclassman raises his head, glancing over the illusion before sighing deep and heavy. "I miss you, Ai."

Ai, that was his name? Ringo taps her finger to her chin, opting to listen as Maguro follows in suit. Huh.

"I know, my dear. That's why I'm the one who visits you when you come here."  
"I want you back. I need you back."  
"You know we can't do that, Risukuma. The dimensions are seperate again. I'm surprised you even remember him, considering most don't remember the Tetra's crew much anymore."  
"I want to merge them again. I know there's a way, I just..."  
"You need his help to build the machine."  
"..."  
"You best forget him soon, Risukuma. Being eaten up like this isn't going to do you any good. Everyone has to move on, some day, and that means you."  
"I don't want to forget him. I don't want to forget my beautiful Ai."  
"You can't cling to this anymore. You have to let go, Risukuma. He's not coming back, and if you build that machine to fuse the dimensions again..."  
"I'll do it twice over. Three times. However many I need to."  
"Be lucky you got to love him and he you. He doesn't even get this pathetic excuse to see you again."  
"..."

The illusion stands, but it seems to take another form. It still looks like Ai, but as it berated and insulted Risukuma... it took a more sinster form. The voice deepens and snarls, and the demon in front of him is unlike one Ringo and Maguro have ever seen. 

His whites are now purples as his face splits, becoming some mutated, melding pot creature. The ears stretch and perk, like a donkey's, and ram horns branch out of the head. The creature has ten eyes, all ataring, and it crosses it's arms.

"You are a pathetic fool, Risukuma. What's stopped you from removing yourself? You should have left before any of this happened. After Ecolo's disaster experiment, you should have packed your bags. No one cared about you to begin with, and they won't care about you again. Leave, and pray that your mutt might still love you, since that's all you hace anymore."

Ringo couldn't place what happened. The monster was there, and before she knew it, she tore from the pillar and ran at this demon, the only thing on her mind being the Squirrelbear she called a friend. Without leaving room for thought, she tackles the purple monster to the floor, and her mouth runs seperate from her brain as she threatens to bury this jerk in puyos.

Maguro steps out as well, racing after Ringo, both highschoolers suddenly showing up taking the upperclassman by surprise. When did they get here? He shoots up, and watches as Maguro pulls the angry girl off of the demon, which disappates into the white mist around it.

"R-Ringo? Maguro?"  
"Risukuma!"  
"Risukuma! ★"

The joined shout of the scientist's name prompts Maguro and Ringo to forget the demon, instead rushing Risukuma. Each one takes a paw, leaving the squirrelbear more puzzled than anything else.

"Are... you illusions, too?"  
"Nope!"  
"We're the real deal! ★"  
"Did you follow me here?"  
"..."  
"Would we be in trouble if we said yes?"  
"... I guess not."  
"Then yeah, we did. ★"

Risukuma just shakes his head, though a little sadly.

"We knew something was up, Ris."  
"We aren't gonna let you suffer! Not if we can help it. ★"  
"Thank you, Ringo. Maguro."  
"So you were building a machine? To try and fuse our dimension with Tee's?"  
"How much of that conversation did you hear?"  
"All of it. ★"  
"... You know, easedropping is frowned upon."  
"Anyway, the machine? We could help you build it!"

Risukuma begins to quiver, causing both highschoolers to worry as water seems to fall from his neck. He pulls the two into a hug, and for the first time in a while, lets himself cry.

"Thank you. Both of you, thank you."  
"Of course! Let's go bring back that Engineer!"  
"Yeah! We'll bring Ai back to you! ★"

Risukuma would grin, if they could see it, and Ringo smiles up at him. Maguro makes his own smile, and the squirrelbear feels giddy. Maybe... maybe he can get Ai back, and he can be happy again. Like this, with Ringo and Maguro.

At least, that's what Risukuma found himself dreaming. Dreaming his friends cared to help him fight his demons, that they saw his silent pleas for help every day. Instead, they went home hand in hand, never noticing that Risukuma heads to those training grounds. They hadn't even noticed his general behavior changes. No one said a thing to him, and all Risukuma could feel was his headache return as he walked down that forest path, stopping to see the sign, hoping that one day, his friends would help him.

That's not going to happen, right? It's been months since he saw Ai. Between classes and thinking in the training grounds, he's been slaving away on that machine, hoping ome day, it would work, and one day, he'll see his Sweetie Ai again, and they'll be happy.

As he begins another walk into the forest, Risukuma sighs, feeling the real eyes under his helmet tear and leak. He was nothing more than a quirk. A character that was intetesting, but never enough to expand on. He had potential, but that was it. Then Ai saw him, and encouraged him, and Risukuma felt like he was worth something to someone for the first time in a long while.

Then, he was gone, and Risukuma can only hope his little Sirus was happy and okay, even with those ugly twins. He keeps telling himself, soon, soon, soon he will have his love in his arms and he will bridge the worlds again. If Risukuma could just make this machine work, then he could finally, finally see Ai.

Unknown to the squirrelbear, his cries had been heard, and as he disappears into the forest towards the training grounds once again, a young highschooler and her boyfriend count down from five, prepared to follow their Squirrelbear friend where ever he intends to go.

After all, what kind of friends don't help thier friends?

Not Ringo and Maguro, that's for sure.


End file.
